New Dust Control Solutions for Coal Handling Operations in North America

The new PowerTreat product series address material handling needs at coal power plant and increases safety by lowering the risk of spontaneous combustion.

Dec 13, 2012

GE has introduced a new line of products in North America designed to maximize the value of coal brought into power plants by reducing material losses and mitigating fuel degradation brought about by oxidation. GE’s new PowerTreat portfolio of products includes capabilities to prevent fugitive dust emissions and promotes safe handling practices. GE made the announcement at this week’s POWER-GEN International 2012 trade conference in Orlando, Fla.

When coal is received at the power plant, a different set of material handling challenges arises, such as controlling fugitive dust without adding excessive amounts of water. GE’s PowerTreat technologies reduce oxidation—significantly lowering the risk of hot spots, smokers and spontaneous combustion—and reduce dusting by up to 90 percent from unloading at the barge or railcar to the plant. PowerTreat also offers effective dust suppression with low moisture addition to the coal, which reduces calorific value penalties and decreases coal flow problems that result from wet coal conditions.

“As coal plants face challenges to meet or exceed environmental considerations, GE’s PowerTreat program gives utilities more fuel consumption flexibility and the ability to burn challenging coal. This new line of products improves the quality of coal, while reducing dust and minimizing hazardous conditions such as spontaneous combustion and hot spots,” said John Schumann, general manager, chemical and monitoring solutions—water and process technologies for GE Power & Water.

Specifically, the PowerTreat products introduced include PowerTreat FD series, PowerTreat AD series and PowerTreat DA series. PowerTreat FD products are foaming agents used to provide high expansion ratio foam for suppressing dust at transfer points while minimizing moisture addition to the coal. PowerTreat AD products are patented anti-oxidants and dust control binders applied to coal that is directed to short term storage piles to inhibit oxidation of coal while controlling dust through agglomeration of fines. PowerTreat DA products are dust control binders applied to coal sent to short term or long-term storage. PowerTreat is part of GE’s CoalPlus portfolio.